By Niall Fulghum

The artistry of the faculty:

For me, the best part of the workshop has been the evening faculty performances. As an amateur jazz pianist, I particularly enjoyed watching Dr. Stephen Anderson. The talent at the workshop was incredible, and it has been a pleasure to watch the faculty perform nightly.

The people who attend a jazz workshop:

The workshop brings together a diverse group of people who share an interest in jazz music. Many of the participants are overwhelmingly talented and it was fun to watch them play.

I was also really impressed by what the students in my journalism section came up with. Reading what they had written made me want to produce work that was on their level.

The history of jazz:

In the mornings we studied the history of jazz with Dan Davis. He introduced me to some new artists, including Sarah Vaughn, Cecil Taylor, Jaco Pastorious, The Mahavishnu Orchestra, and Pat Metheny. We talked about how Miles Davis changed the course of jazz history with three pivotal albums – Birth of the Cool, Kind of Blue, and Bitches Brew. We also talked about the social and political context behind the history of jazz.

The subtleties of being exposed to an intense amount of jazz for one week:

The workshop begins at 9:30 a.m. and goes until nearly 9:00 p.m. daily. The music was initially overwhelming to me. On day one I went home utterly exhausted. As the week progressed, the music became easier to digest. Like how initially the language in a Shakespeare play is hard to understand but after a few hours they might as well be speaking normal modern English.

This year’s jazz workshop was a unique experience to say the least. Here are my biggest takeaways:

Not as brutal

Back to back days from 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. sounds dreadful on paper. Turns out, I’m not being crammed information like my anxiety said I would.

There is a lot of valuable knowledge to acquire about jazz and journalism. Our instructors made great use of the time we had by teaching us a lot without intensifying or boring anything.

Newfound love

With a new understanding of its history, jazz has become an art form I can truly appreciate.

Here, you’re surrounded by those seeking the same appreciation, as well as cats who’ve been playing for years. This workshop can really bring that feeling out.

From intricate to simple, rhythmic to Cecil Taylor, jazz has it all.

Live music

The live music on a nightly basis is phenomenal. You get to see how talented these musicians are with your own eyes, and even dance a little if you feel like it.

Sometimes, I get so used to hearing music on my phone that it isn’t as interesting to me. Jazz workshop reminded me of the essence of music through various stylistically different performances.

Meeting people

There are people from all around the world that came here, literally. A good amount of locals participate as well.

Getting a chance to sit down and connect with a few people over music and even general interests is priceless to me.

The jazz workshop is an open field of opportunity, perspective, and relationships waiting to be explored.

This a letter/list to those future students that are on the fence about taking the jazz workshop, or anyone who just wants a first-hand experience of it.

Hello Tar Heels and the rest of the known world,

In the summer of 2023, I was fortunate enough to be able to partake in UNC’s 13th annual Summer Jazz Workshop. I had the unique experience of being able to participate in both the journalism and performance sections of the workshop, i.e., I was able to take the morning jazz theory and advanced improve with Professor Anderson, and after lunch, I joined the journalism group for the rest of the day.

Hence, I will give my takeaways from each of the sections.

Two reasons why to enroll in the performance portion.

Reason one: Jazz chords, jazz chords, jazz chords!

Are you a beginner, intermediate, or advanced musician who has hit a wall and is looking for a breakthrough? Or are you someone that just loves music and wants to do a full immersion course that will enhance your musical abilities and understanding? Well! If that is the case then look no further! Because UNC’s Summer jazz workshop is the place for you! Here’s why.

In the advanced morning theory class with Professor Anderson, I was able to learn various jazz concepts such as different jazz styles, bracketing, and jazz chords. The theory class is certainly a challenge and not for the faint of heart. I have a solid footing in classical music theory and was able to keep up with most of the theory that was taught. However, if you don’t feel comfortable with your current knowledge or understanding do not worry. There are other Theory sections for intermediate and beginner musicians.

My peers and I have nothing but praise for the new ideas and concepts we were exposed to.

Reason Two: Salsa Night.

Every day of the workshop ends with a performance by different artists and we get to experience different genres of jazz. On Thursday evening (the fourth day of the workshop), a salsa instructor comes through and teaches some salsa moves. At first, everyone is somewhat shy and hesitant to participate, but after a few minutes, everyone is learning new moves and having a blast. This was definitely my favorite part of the workshop.

Two reasons why to enroll in the performance portion.

If you want to learn journalism techniques and concepts but don’t have any experience or if you’re an experienced journalist and want a refresher on some ideas, then the journalism portion of the workshop is for you!

Reason one: Professor Andy Bechtel.

Professor Bechtel was the professor for the journalism portion. He is extremely knowledgeable in the field of journalism. He is very welcoming as well. I have zero experience in this field, and I felt welcomed I also learned a lot about what goes into brainwashing people via media — just kidding! I did actually learn some advanced concepts of the field, such as how and what to do when interviewing people.

Reason two: On-the-job training and fieldwork.

Two piggyback off the first reason. I was able to immediately put my newly learned interview skills into action by going out into the field and interviewing participants in the workshop. This gave me a reason to be more social, and I was able to meet many of my talented peers. I also got to publish an interview for the public to read.

Here is the link to my interview for those that are interested in reading it: https://tarheels.live/uncjazz2021/2023/06/29/unc-summer-jazz-workshop-q-and-a-with-talented-young-musician/

In conclusion, this is the place to be. As the saying goes, be there or be square.

If you’re considering the UNC Summer Jazz Workshop, here are some notes that reflect my own experience:

1. Everyone should see jazz performed live.

Live jazz is an incredible thing to witness. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so much live jazz in my life as I have this week. The live jam sessions each day were surprisingly one of my favorite events to attend. It’s so interesting to watch people who have never met before come together and jam almost immediately. There’s so much variability in a jazz performance; while the players are prepared, they also have the freedom to improvise differently every time they pick up their horn. 

I also love the way you can watch players communicating with each other in the middle of a performance or jam session. They make quick decisions, listen to each other, and create their roadmap on the spot. It’s incredible, impressive, and invaluable to jazz as a genre.

2. Jazz history is fascinating — and important.

This week I’ve learned so much fascinating information on the history of jazz. Bits and pieces were things I’d heard throughout my life as a young jazz musician in high school — but I’m happy to have gotten a much better look at the big picture of jazz history, its greatest players, and the way the genre has changed through all its ebbs and flows.

Since the beginning of jazz, it has always been evolving. We talked about the genre as if it existed on a pendulum; every preceding era of jazz was a response to the one before it. A common theme was how the young generation were typically the ones to employ their own music tastes and fuse them with jazz styles over time, thus changing the makeup of jazz and its popularity.

3. We’ve got some very talented faculty members.

I’ve had the privilege of working with some of these faculty members before the workshop, but most of them I met for the first time here. I was in awe of their performances during the nightly concerts. Their ability to put together such challenging and impressive sets without much time to prepare blew me away this week.

To be able to learn from a group of staff members who can practice what they preach is so important for musicians, and the jazz workshop is done in a way where you won’t leave without having seen lots and lots of live music — with the UNC faculty members always getting a moment to shine.

4. Be careful — this workshop might inspire you to get more involved with jazz.

I used to play alto sax in a jazz band in high school. I loved it but never felt like I learned enough about theory and improv to be successful. Since then, I’ve strayed from the genre and no longer have other jazz enthusiasts in my life to connect with. After this week, I think I’ll try to slowly get back into jazz — starting by listening to the jazz player I used to love, as well as names I heard for the first time this week. 

I really want to be able to be a part of this amazing community of musicians who are practically overflowing with talent and who get to represent one of the coolest genres in our country’s history.

Final thoughts

I had a great time at the UNC Summer Jazz Workshop this year! If you find yourself with even the slightest bit of interest in jazz or journalism, no real music experience, and in need of an Experiential Education credit, then this week-long course is for you. You will leave with a better idea of what jazz is, where it came from, and what it looks like now — while also hearing some very talented participants and faculty throughout the week. Who knows … you might find a new favorite jazz album or musician that you never would have come across otherwise.

When I saw that there was an opportunity to gain 3 credit hours for learning journalism and jazz, I was immediately interested. I have always loved music and was eager for the opportunity to learn more about the art of jazz. I also had worked at the UNC student newspaper: The Daily Tar Heel for a grand total of 2 months, and I figured I could give the journalism thing another go.

As this week comes to a close and I have arrived at the last day of class, I had a couple points of reflection for interested individuals.

1. Learning about journalism has been so enlightening. 

One of the parts of this workshop involves learning about journalism and its various aspects from a current professor in the UNC School of Media and Journalism.

We learned about how to conduct interviews to build a profile around someone, write a music review, and use social media to document a live performance. All of these activities were incredibly fun, and I learned so much that I can take into many parts of my life. I highly recommend this for anyone interested in getting into journalism or just wanting to learn more about it!

2. This workshop brings incredible musicians and stories together. 

One of the most exciting parts I got to participate in was writing a profile on a talented jazz musician named Jhon Martez. He is a trumpet player who comes from the Dominican Republic and studies at Berklee College of Music. He is an exceptional player and person, and to be able to experience his musicianship and learn more about him as a person was a true treat during this workshop.

He is one of the many individuals with incredible stories to tell that make their way to this workshop, and the opportunity to meet all of them is an amazing part of this week.

3. There are ample opportunities to learn about jazz styles from many different instruments. 

One part of the workshop that was incredible was being able to sit in on group lessons for the various instruments at the workshop. I was able to sit in on trumpet, trombone and voice lessons, where I could watch masters at their craft teach.

My favorite lesson was the voice lesson. I especially loved this because as a brass player, I was not very acquainted to the art of jazz voice, and to be able to watch the process up close and personal was so inspiring to learn about.

Along with the lessons, the free concerts every night had such variety of styles and instrumentation. Every night was an incredible opportunity to watch jazz musicians perform their art at such a high level.

Did I mention they are free?

4. The food in Granville Towers is heavenly. 

On a less serious note, during the workshop you have the option of eating and staying at Granville Towers, a place for students to live during the academic year. With this, you get the privilege to feast at the lovely dining hall, the Agora.

The food at this place is immaculate, and it included the likes of spaghetti and meatballs, beef steak, ice cream, and so much more.

It may not be the most educational part of the workshop, but it sure is a perk!

Jazz is significantly cooler than I thought it was

Going into the workshop, I never found myself gravitating toward jazz as a music genre. I primarily chose to take this class for the journalism section and to see how I could expand my knowledge of music. The nightly concerts were amazing, but the daily jam sessions were what truly made me realize how fun jazz is.

Watching students from middle school all the way through adulthood get up and improvise together was incredible. Seeing the wheels turn in someone’s mind as they began a new sequence of runs or blared out the highest note their instrument could offer was awesome to witness.

I may take my friend up on learning how to dance

Thursday evening of the workshop, the Tito Puente Tribute Latin Dance Night took place in Kenan Music Building. Prior to the concert, Norberto “Betto” Herrera gave a salsa dancing lesson to students. I cannot remember the last time I had this much fun, and the beauty of salsa dancing is how versatile it is. All you need is a fun rhythm, and there are so many ways you can move your feet. Shoutout to my friend on UNC’s Ballroom Dance Team – he keeps telling me to come to their events, and it looks like I may have to. 

Music brings people together like nothing else

This is a lesson I already knew, but it was only emphasized further throughout my time at the workshop. Speaking to performers and learning their stories through the journalism and jazz history section was incredibly rewarding. Hearing how best friends were formed, lifelong dreams were held, and families were built because of music is the coolest thing in the world.

In the journalism section, we were given the assignment of interviewing a member of the workshop for a profile piece. I chose performer Samuel Edoho-Eket, primarily because I thought it was fascinating how he played so many different instruments. Through speaking with him, I learned so much more about jazz’s influence on his life, including his close friendship with Roland and Rahsaan Barber, two of the faculty members at the workshop.

Jazz is all about communication, and it’s such a supportive activity

Watching the nightly concerts, jam sessions, and group lessons taught me a great deal about how much communication goes into jazz. Especially when there’s a lot of improvisation taking place, performers are constantly watching each other, counting, and signaling who’s going to play and when.

With this, I can’t recall a time and place where I saw more support and encouragement than watching jazz musicians play together. There are constant smiles, high-fives, and faces of pure awe after someone finishes a solo. Everyone is just so eager to learn from each other, and it’s beautiful to see.

 

The UNC Summer Jazz Workshop wrapped up this week and was a fabulous experience for me. I enjoyed being fully immersed in jazz, as well as learning more about journalism. I would recommend it to anyone, as long as you’re somewhat interested in music, you’ll have a great time. Here are my top four takeaways from an amazing week.

Jazz is difficult

Though I play guitar, I came to this workshop as a non-performer. This allowed me to see the inner workings of the practicing, learning, and understanding that goes into a jazz performance. I sat in on the daily improv sessions, where students would play various songs and then have a chance to improvise on them. These sessions displayed the remarkable ability of the students who made up majestic solos on the spot. It truly takes a lot to be a jazz musician and what the students here are doing is impressive. 

There’s more to journalism than you think

I had no prior journalism experience before this camp, and the journalism course is designed for that, people who know little about journalism. But going into it I figured we would just be writing about the workshop and reporting, but there is much more to it. I learned that journalists have to think about phrasing headlines that make people want to click on them, that articles need to be concise but have valuable details, and how just how much thought goes into every post, tweet, or news article put out by journalists. The camp gave me a great look into journalism as a beginner and has made me interested in the field.

Learning the history of jazz allows you to appreciate the music more

The jazz history portion of the course was very informative. Though the course only spans five days, I was able to get a good overview of the evolution of jazz and the highlights of famous musicians. Learning about jazz has definitely made me start listening to jazz. I’ve added a ridiculous amount of jazz music to my library after taking the class, and even while just listening to it, I can hear things I wouldn’t have heard before. 

The professors and faculty are superb

Dan Davis and Andy Bechtel are magnificent professors for the jazz history and journalism courses. Professor Davis is very passionate about the subject and keeps you fully engaged the entire time. His love for jazz makes you love jazz. Professor Bechtel is very experienced in journalism and teaches the basics in a clear and easy to understand way. He is always there if you need him and provides great tips on journalism. All the faculty are supportive and welcoming, creating a great environment.

As we wrap up the last day of this year’s UNC Summer Jazz Workshop, I want to take a moment to reflect on these four takeaways from the experience.

1. Players of all skill levels (and non players) are welcome

The workshop staff are adept at holding lessons at different levels and forming performance combos that work with players at various levels. In addition, if you don’t play an instrument and love jazz, you can join the journalism section of the course and write articles like this! Do not let lack of experience keep you from participating.

2. The nightly concerts feature some of the best performances in the area

The workshop’s nightly concerts are free and open to the public. They feature professional artists from across the country as well as some of UNC’s talented faculty. This year saw performances from Al Strong, Roland and Rahsaan Barber, Jerald Shynett, Ed Paolantonio, Keith Ganz, Jason Foureman, Kobie Watkins, Dan Davis, Dr. Juan Alamo, Dr. Gregg Gelb, and of course Dr. Stephen Anderson, the director of the program. Even if you are not a part of the workshop, make sure to tune in for next year’s concerts!

3. Check out #UNCjazz on Twitter to see performance highlights

Every year, students in the journalism section of the workshop post live images and footage from one of the nightly concerts. If you missed the performances, make sure to check out #UNCjazz on Twitter. This year we covered Thursday’s Latin dance night.

4. You’ll learn a lot about jazz history

From the early jazz of the 1920s to modern funk of the 1980s, Dan Davis will make sure you leave the workshop with much more knowledge of the genre than you walked in with. Professor Davis makes class fun and interesting, introducing you to many influential artists throughout history. You’ll also learn basic music theory on the piano.

The summer workshop truly is an experience you won’t want to miss, so make sure to keep an eye out for next year’s sign up!

1. Hands down the best EE credit class on campus.

If you are a student looking to fulfill an EE “experiential education” class, the UNC summer jazz workshop is the way to go. As someone who has actually taken this workshop twice (you can take it for repeat credit!) I highly recommend. Not only do you learn and appreciate jazz, you also complete 3 credit hours in 5 days. That combination is hard to beat.

2. Jazz history is American history. 

If you learned one thing in the jazz history portion of the workshop, it is that jazz is a uniquely American art form. With its roots in the early 20th century, jazz has evolved and changed greatly through the years. However, one thing has endured: a swingin’ feel and improvisation. This workshop also shows that jazz is still drawing crowds and new generations of players.

3. Coffee 

While this course may only be one week, its packed with interesting classes, jam sessions and live performances. You may find yourself dabbling on Franklin street in search for the sweet nectar of caffeine. Located close to the Kenan music building, Carolina Coffee Shop’s 1922 is the place to go. With great coffee, a bright setting and free refills, check out this local Chapel Hill coffee shop.

4. Live music

After classes, combos and jam sessions, each day ends in the auditorium. Around 7 p.m., the lights dim, and faculty, world-renowned musicians and guest artists all play outstanding pieces of music. If you are like me and listen to jazz music sparingly if at all, I highly recommend seeing it played live. While a record is nice, it hides impromptu solos and nuanced expressions found only in a live setting.

I spent this past week at the UNC-Chapel Hill Summer Jazz workshop, and I would say it was quite the experience.

We spent the first hour and a half of the day with Dan Davis, who taught us about jazz history and even got us to improvise on the piano to the tune “So What.” We learned about journalism with Andy Bechtel in another class, which leads me to this post about what I learned from the UNC-Chapel Hill Summer Jazz workshop. There were many takeaways from the concerts to the people that teach here to the passion of the students that attend, but here are my top 4 takeaways from this workshop.

1. It don’t mean a thing if it don’t got that swing.

I wasn’t really big into jazz styles of music until this week. I would say that I was exposed to a lot of different types of jazz and really liked fusion jazz from the 1970s. I had a good time learning about the history of jazz and how it was influenced by the socioeconomic status of different groups in the U.S. Dan Davis made it engaging and so interesting to listen to while going through the significant events and important people of jazz. I would say that I never knew how interwoven jazz was with the journey African Americans had in this country and how apparent it was in the music of jazz once it was pointed out.

2. Live tweeting was very enjoyable.

This was my first time tweeting or even having a Twitter account in the first place. It was cool to explore social media sites and see how journalists use and gather information from these platforms. I went to a jazz concert on Thursday while live-tweeting, and it was actually very engaging. I paid more attention and tried to capture the big moments in the concert. Although my Twitter account was brand new and had 0 followers, it still felt very much so like I was documenting and sharing the moments of the event to whoever wanted to see what it was like in the future.

3. Improve is hard.

In our piano class, Dan Davis gave us a very simple modal-style piece to improve over. He gave us two chords to play which were Dmaj7 and EbMaj7. I had a fun time learning the chords and learned about what notes sounded good with those chords. But the last performance and playing test really gave me a taste of what these jazz musicians live through. The quick thinking on your feet trying to convey stories and emotions through your note choices without getting caught up in the technical details opened my eyes and gave me a deeper understanding of jazz. I would say it made me appreciate the soloists more than I ever had before.

4. Live music is a special thing.

I was never a person that went to concerts of any kind of music. I only really heard the music live through street performers while walking by. But seeing live music in this format, from being in the audience while a band played on stage, or dancing in front of the band while they jam together, it was really an experience I have never thought of it being. I would take away that I would like to go to more events for live music and the atmosphere it created was really a joy to experience.

Overall, I would recommend that people take this course and come to the workshop. It’s a great way to get your college credits, and doing so while having a good time spells a win-win in my book. 10/10 would do it again.